Wichita eagle., 1887-05-25

1 PERU'S EXPOSITION:S 81
SCENES IN THE STREETS OF THE
CITY OF THE KINGS" ~

Aoorer SiaSSeS-1ron Barred Window
Everywhere-TropicalP Plants of the Ex.
position-Chilians' Destructiveness.
Passing over one of the Rimac's tribu.
taries we enter and pass through the out.
skirts OF Lima, and stop beneath the GOV.
cred station, where, alighting, find my.
self amid some Of the strange and inter
esting sights of the handsomest city in
all South America. The houses that
lined the streets on either side, fairly
teeming with life, seemed innumerable,
and stood SO closely that their roofs
touched. There is no space around the
Lmeno's residence for the yard-though
many have small, square courts within,
more or less unattractive-but we miss
the grass plots, fowerbeds and gravel
walks which enhance the appearance of
our American homes so much. Gardens,
however, appear here and there along the
streets-invariably, if not public, the
property Of the upper classes-surrounded
by the ever present adobe wall, which
detracts much from their natural beauty.
Yet mud is very important factor in
Limeno architecture; deprived of it, the
city would be but an unsightly mass of
ruins. Over one-half of the houses are
built of adObe-sun dried brick-rlastered
within and without with mud, and rooted
mainly with red tiles. A couple of coats
Of whitewash, in lieu Of paint, complete
the dwelling. The poorer classes, who
form the greater portion of the population,
live in houses Of bamboo, over which a
net work Of cane is woven, plastered on
all sides with mud, and rooted with BAN
boo or straw. Lima possesses but two
stone buildings-a -four mill and the peni-
Tertiary. A few of the fine adobe resi-
dences of the aristocracy are, however,
fronted with marble and encrcled with
wooden balconies; and those of the foreign
residents are, in few instances, built Of
kiln burnt brick-a few being composed
OF timber. But Lima's archways, her
aqueducts, her palace, her cathedrals, her
business blocks and public buildings are
constructed almost entirely Of mud
grimy, unsightly mud ever~where-a city
of mud. The reason Of rhis-a feature
common to all these countries-is the
great scarcity of timber and good stone,
the climate and the frequency OF earth
quakes; for which latter reason, the
majority Of the dwellings are but one
stored. And it may be in place to re-
mark here that the lower windows of all
dwellings and buildings, both public and
private, in Lima are iron barred-I pre-
sumo because Of tho numerous reyolu-
tons that occur here 60 often, with their
attendant robberies and bloody street
fights.
Another noticeable feature is The ex-
treme cleanliness of the streets and alleys
there is no dirt or refuse to be seen any
where. The Lima board of health. which
evidently understands its business, has
efficient aids in its labors, without which
it would have a hard time in fighting
those diseases that ever infest dirty
tropical cities; these indispensable helpers
arc known in America as .'buZzarCs, -
and at all hours Of the day they can be
seen standing on the housetops, their
glossy black feathers glistening in the
sun, or struttirg in the streets and by
ways, searching for refuse and filth.
They are very numerous and increase in
numbers each year, as there is n strict
law against barming them.
Arriving at length at the entrance Of
the exposition grounds, l alighted, and
paying paper sole five cents, entered
through the high, iron barred gate.
Following one of the many neat gravel
walks, bordered with flower beds,
for a short distance beneath the heavy
foliage, [ found myself suddenly in the
HlluSb u peFleCt WlluernesS OF sweet
smelling flowers.
The date, the palm, the banana, the
orange, the cocoanut-in fact, nearly all
the tropical plants-were here in album
dance. Birds OF gay plumage, hidden
amid the thick foliage or circling in the
balmy air, were making the gardens ring
with their strange noises. Monkeys, with
the concentrated mischief of an American
school boy, were scampeTing about upon
all sides. Busts and statues stood in
prominent spots; and arbors and cozy
seats were scattered in cool and shady
places. Numerous fountains were flash
ing in the sunlight, and flowing from
them in every direction, keeping every
thing green, were small, clear streams
with messy and flowery banks, SPAWNED
here and there by rustic bridges, where
one could watch the little fishes dispOrting
themselves in the limpid waters beneath.
1t seemed Il little Eden, it was so lovely
and fragrant, SO cool and refreshing
Leaving regretfully my shady retreat, |
I entered the chief building of the four |
that in which the Lima exposition was |
held in 1872, and the one which is also |
used when the annual fair of Peru takes |
place. But the buildings have been |
stripped of almost all their valuables- |
mostly by the Chilians when in posses |
sion Of Lima in 1SSl-and little of interest |
now remains save few paintings of |
South American scenery, which show evil |
dence of great care and considerable tai |
ent; some pieces of sculpture, and great |
quantity of specimens taken from Peru |
Wan mines-evidence of the wonderful |
mineral wealth that lies hidden in the |
bowels of the Andes.
After exploring the other buildings and |
finding nothing of interest, | passed out |
into the gardens and visited the wild |
beasts that were Gagged in a long. low shed |
in the southern part of the grounds. But |
here. as elsewhere, were evidences of the |
destructive, thieving propensities of the |
Chilians. Before the capture Of Lima |
these grounds contained specimens of |
nearly every animal in the world; but. |
after the valiant Chilians had transported |
the greater part to alparaiso-where l |
saw them some months ago--and began |
using the rest for targets, their numbers |
dwindled rapidly to the sorry spectacle |
they present to-day. These gardens. |
lovely as they are, bear no comparison, it |
is said, to the beauty and magniflcence |
they possessed before the arrival of the |
Chilans, who found it the loveliest spot |
in all Peru and left il shadow of its |
former self.-Callao perm Cor. San |
Francisco Argonaut.